


Cereal Boxes

by tmtcltb



Category: The Last Ship (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-13 15:29:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 19,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28780530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tmtcltb/pseuds/tmtcltb
Summary: Danny Green deals with the fallout of events following Gitmo. A/k/a how Green goes from telling Foster to stay away from him (Dead Reckoning) to telling her that she is going to introduce him to her mother (Trials). Slightly AU. Rated M for smut.
Relationships: Kara Foster/Danny Green
Comments: 34
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N - so, my apologies for the lack of updates on my other stories. Work and 2021 have been kicking my butt. I wrote this story as part of NaNoWriMo but have been sitting on it for ... reasons. Anyway, figured that I should post *something.* Originally this was designed to be a Snapshot about that scene at Gitmo but it went in a very, very different direction and is now 12,000 words and about eight chapters. This story earns the M rating. Not completely PWP but the plot is definitely, um, secondary to the smut. For inspiration, I listened to Maroon 5's "One More Night" on repeat as I was writing this.

Chapter 1 - Vulnerability

Danny stormed across the deck trying - no _needing_ \- to get away from Kara. From the reminder of what almost happened. The reminder of what he almost did. The reminder of _what he had done_.

"Danny!" But, of course, Kara wouldn't leave it alone. Chasing after him, in his head. _The way she always was_.

He spun, growling. "We were late. I could have blown the whole mission and gotten all of us killed, the whole crew."

Kara reached out, her hand touching his arm. "But you didn't. And we got out fine."

He shook her off. "I lost my focus because of you."

The response was a hiss. "Because of me? I didn't do anything. You throttled down and wanted me to bail."

_God, he couldn't believe that he did that_.

"No." As though the word could change what happened - both at Gitmo and before.

How often had he said the words _all's fair in love and war_. Teasing, tempting, cajoling in an effort to draw Kara closer, to convince her that there was no real harm in breaking the rules. But, somehow, he had become the one stuck in the web.

"Danny," she tried again, but he cut her off.

"This is- This is why we're not supposed to..."

Kara actually stomped her foot. "It's just sex, Danny. "

_I love you._ The words died in his throat. _What did she just say?_ "What?"

"It's just sex," Kara had dropped her voice, looking around the deck. "Remember what you said? No different than any other workout. Friends with benefits. Stress-release. Don't make it more than that."

_He remembered_. How he whispered the words in the gym, an hour of watching her work her way through a dozen yoga poses making him think of other things that they could be doing in those positions. How he teased her about other ways that they could work up a sweat after thirty minutes of jogging on the deck together. Even how he told her she could skip the gym that day after the first time they had sex, joking that she had definitely burned enough calories. And Danny had meant the words. Having no idea how balls-deep he was, literally and figuratively.

He couldn't deal with this right now. "Just stay away from me."

Kara was silent for a minute but, just as he was about to open the door, he heard her voice. "Fine. But I'll be there later. Just in case you decided you want to burn off some energy after all."

xxxxx

The entire time he was taking a shower - extra long per the XO due to the time spent in the water - Danny told himself that he wasn't going. He was going to cut her off completely. Both because of the rules, and also because Kara was probably right. This _was_ just about sex. He was just too fucked up over losing Frankie and Steve and Jason right now to know what he was feeling. After all, that love at first sight stuff was pure bullshit. Kara couldn't possibly have gone from a stranger to the most important person in his world in five months.

Definitely all about sex.

Good sex, but still just sex.

And, yeah, sex was important to a relationship, but other things were just as important. Respect. Consideration. Friendship. Trust. Mutual goals. Accountability. Communication.

_But didn't he respect Kara? Even admiring her dedication and work ethic?_

_Weren't they friends? Didn't he crave her presence even when they were both fully clothed and in public?_

_And keeping the Nathan James afloat sure as shit sounded like a mutual goal._

"Fuck!" Danny scrubbed at his head, feeling the tension continue to build. He was just so damn twisted up right now. The only thing that seemed to relieve the tension was...

_Sex._

Of course. No wonder he was so fixated on Kara. She was like a drug. Giving him a temporary release. One that he desperately needed right now.

_Nothing more_.

xxxxx

_He wasn't going to go._

Danny told himself that as he walked from the showers to his cabin. As he spent an hour at the gym attempting to wear himself out. As he ducked into the wardroom for a cup of coffee. Even as he found himself walking towards the dry storage with absolutely no other purpose than to meet Kara.

_Just sex._

Danny had no idea whether the anger pumping through him right now was the result of his own stupid decision on that RHIB or what Kara said afterwards or the last few hours enduring the congratulations and excitement of his fellow crewmen on a successful mission evading the Russians. But the lure of losing himself in Kara, in engaging in the one activity that was certain to keep him distracted for a few minutes, was overpowering.

She was already there when he arrived, a dark shadow against the wall, highlighted by the glow of her phone. She was looking down when he approached her from behind, studying something. Like him, she must have showered and was now dressed in gym gear, her hair tied back in a simple braid. Without speaking, Danny slid an arm around her waist, pulling her flush against him, mouth dropping to the base of her neck, letting his teeth score her. Kara gasped, but whether from surprise or pleasure or even pain, he didn't know. Or care.

_Just sex_.

Grabbing one of her hands in his, he braced them against the wall while his other hand began dragging down her shorts and underwear. Having managed to get rid of the necessary portion of her clothing, Danny brought his hand up to her folds, teasing her entrance, feeling her response in the way she gasped and then stiffened when he swiped across her clit. Normally he aimed for more, well some, foreplay. But not tonight. Tonight wasn't about love or pleasure or even fun, but rather about the demons that were riding him harder than ever before.

Kara's other hand rose to the wall to brace herself, pressing back more firmly against him, and Danny jerked in response. His thumb moved to circle her clit and he pressed first one and then two fingers into Kara. She choked on a sob and Danny's own breathing was harsh in his ears.

_Just sex_.

He wrapped one arm around her waist like a band, using the other to free his erection, lining them up and surging inside. Biting his lip to stop the groan as she closed around him. For a second, neither moved, and then Kara shifted, spreading her legs to allow him to press even further into him. Leaving one arm around her waist, he shifted his other hand to the wall, covering one of hers as he pulled out and then surged again. Hard and fast. Kara meeting him stroke for stroke. Her hand twisted on the wall, intertwining their fingers, and her head fell back against his shoulder.

The glow of the phone long gone, he couldn't see Kara's face, but he knew that she was biting on her lip to stop from moaning. The muffled sounds driving him crazy. Shifting slightly, he raised the hand at her waist, pushing under her shirt and bra to squeeze one of her breasts, earning a jerk and keening cry that she cut off by burying her head in the arm that he still had braced against the wall. He would have chuckled if he had the breath. But then she was quivering around him, her release coming out of nowhere, her teeth sinking into his arm. And it was all Danny could do to keep them upright as he surged into Kara again and again, rhythm gone, mind blank, desperate for the oblivion that he knew was coming. His head dropped to her shoulder as he poured himself into her in one final stroke, burying himself to the hilt. Letting himself go. Losing himself in Kara.

_Just sex._

Danny had no idea how long they stayed that way until Kara wiggled, and he realized that he was pressing her into the wall, probably crushing her given their size differential. He was still buried inside her, still connected in the most intimate way possible, his body sated beyond belief and yet...it wasn't enough.

Pulling out of her, Danny turned Kara until they were facing each other, wishing that he could see her in the darkness. Wishing that he had some idea what she was thinking or feeling. Then Kara's hands came up to his cheeks, framing his face and drawing him down for a kiss. God knows how long they had been here. The better plan would be to leave now, before anyone noticed that they were missing. But with the way that Kara was kissing him right now, Danny knew there wasn't a chance in hell that he was going anywhere.

He slid an arm under her ass to lift her higher on the wall. Kara wrapped her legs around him, one hand dropping to slide under his shirt and across his stomach. Only then did Danny realize that he was still fully clothed and she was wearing her bra, shirt and shoes. Not that getting completely naked was always on the agenda but still. Kara solved the issue by pushing his shirt over his head, followed almost immediately by her own. Danny unsnapped her bra, dropping it to the side before leaning in for another kiss, pressing her into the wall, naked chest-to-chest.

Kara gasped when he cupped a breast, running a finger around her nipple, which pebbled under this touch. He switched to the other side, repeating the procedure, craving the way she sighed against his mouth, melting into him. She hooked an arm around his neck, drawing him closer, as the other one stroked his shoulders and back and ass. Running around the band of his shorts until she found his cock, wrapping her hand firmly around the base. He had come only minutes ago, the orgasm overpowering in its intensity. And yet he was ready to go again. Putty in her hands. Or, rather, the opposite. His dick not caring about anything other than the way she was stroking him from base to head. The feel of her mouth on his. The scent of her recent release. The sensation of her slick thighs grasped his waist. The way she was rocking against him, as though she too was ready for more.

He dropped a hand to her clit, brushing gently as he tested the waters. Kara's legs tightened, her lower body angled towards him, hand digging into his shoulder when he hit just the right place. He wasn't sure how long they stood there like that. Kissing. Touching. Stroking. Until all he could think about was being inside of her again. Pushing his shorts down, letting them pool at his ankles, he lifted her slightly, lining himself up, before sliding slowly inside. Inch by agonizing inch. Carefully. Waiting for her to adjust before he pressed further, knowing that she had to be sore after the way he had pounded into her earlier.

They moved together. Slow and steady. The storage space silent except for the echo of their breath, the slide of flesh against flesh. The world narrowing until _this_ \- being here, with Kara - was the only thing that mattered. He could have stayed this way forever, the feeling that everything was _right_. But, of course, that was impossible. Even as the thought occurred, Danny could feel the slight shifts in Kara indicating that she was close. The way her breath hitched. The way she began to quiver at each thrust. The way her nails dug into his shoulder as though she could somehow drag him closer. He moved his hand down to where they were joined, pressing gently as he thrust, knowing from past experience that it would take little to push her over the edge. And when she peaked a moment later, he was right there with her, following her over the edge. Their mouths never parting, connected in every possible way until the very end.

Neither moved for long moments but then, as it always did, reality intruded. They had been here far, far longer than they should have been. Danny set Kara down slowly, making sure that she was steady before letting her go. They both immediately began searching for their clothing, Kara needing her phone to help locate the bra he had tossed halfway across the room.

Once they were both dressed, Kara stepped forward, brushing her lips against his. "Until next time."

It was only when he heard the husky whisper that he realized they were the first words either had spoken. And then Kara was gone. Danny waited as long as he could before following her out the door, down the p-way to his own cabin, collapsing into his bunk underneath a snoring Tex Nolan. Knowing that there was no way he could give this - give _her_ \- up. He simply needed to keep it in perspective.

_Just sex_.


	2. Companionship

Today was day two of the water rations and they were nowhere near land. Doctor Scott's pronouncement echoed through Danny's head. _Three days without water and people start to die._

Since Gitmo, Danny had seen Kara only twice. Well, three times if passing in the p-way counted. And each time she had been perfectly professional. Completely focused on the UAV and the ongoing search for water. Nothing to indicate that she felt anything more towards Danny than she felt towards Russ Jeter. It was exactly what Danny wanted. Exactly what he asked her to do.

And it was driving him absolutely insane.

_Just sex._

Because it might just be sex, but it was also fan-fucking-tastic sex. Soul-shattering sex. The kind of sex that got you thinking about things like rings and babies and _happily ever after_ if such a thing were possible. Which, previously, Danny would have denied with a scoff. Now, however, he was changing his view. Because he couldn't think about anything else. _About anyone else_. And now, facing death, he could no longer remember why he pushed Kara away in the first place. What did it matter it he was confusing love and sex or too emotionally involved or even if he was just horny when there were better-than-even-odds that he would be dead tomorrow anyway?

Which is why Danny had been in the wardroom for the last hour, a half eaten chicken and cheese quesadilla sitting in front of him, Bacon having to think far outside the box to cook without water while also trying to minimize their salt intake. But Danny's perseverance was rewarded when Kara finally entered the room, heading automatically to the coffee maker, only to stop, almost disoriented, before turning back to the food shelf. He could tell the instant that she saw him, the flash of surprise and confusion in her eyes, followed by cool detachment. "Lieutenant."

"Lieutenant." Danny nodded in return, waiting while Kara observed the offerings, finally picking up a quesadilla of her own. Although the meat left something to be desired, the tomatoes in the salsa had to have some water content. He waited for her to sit. He had missed this. Talking to her. Spending time with her. Those lazy evenings in the Arctic, walking the deck or hanging out in the lounge with Frankie and Alisha, no more than a distant memory. "Anything on the UAV?"

Kara gave him another hooded look, taking a sip from her water bottle. "No. Serrana Bank still looks like the best option."

She bit into her quesadilla. Danny knew that it was now or never, that they were unlikely to have more than a few minutes alone. "We've cut out PT due to the water rations so I have the guys on rotating six hour shifts. Nolan's on watch until 2200."

There was nothing the least bit subtle about his statement, or what he was suggesting. His cabin. Alone. The purpose obvious. Although it was something that they had done in the Arctic, that was with Frankie's tactic permission and agreement to stay gone. The same could not be said for Tex. Kara's eyes flickered again. "It's not a good time...for that."

It took a moment for Danny to figure out what she meant. Her period. And, he realized immediately after that, he didn't care. All he really wanted was to spend time, any time, with Kara. "Then we'll do something else."

_Just sex._

He held his breath, body entirely still as he waited for her answer. Waiting to find out where, exactly, she had drawn the line of what qualified as _just sex_. Finally, Kara nodded. "I'm off shift at 1800. I'll stop by after."

xxxxx

By 2030, Danny was pacing back and forth across his cabin. Kara working late wasn't unusual even before the world went to hell. And there were a dozen reasons why she might not have been able to make it here even if she wasn't still in CIC. But knowing that didn't make it easier to wait. Wondering when - _if_ \- she would arrive.

The door opened and Kara slipped inside, hesitating immediately inside the cabin. As though not quite certain of her welcome. "Hey."

"Hey." Declining to analyze the relief pounding through him, Danny walked towards Kara, cupping her chin with his hand and pulling her to him for a languid kiss. Nibbling on her lower lip until she moaned, taking advantage of her parting lips to sweep his tongue into her mouth.

Kara pulled back, slightly breathless. "Danny..."

"I know. Period." Not that it would necessarily have stopped him, but Kara had made her thoughts on that idea clear last time he was benched. Danny backed them towards his bunk. "How are you feeling?"

"Thirsty," Kara admitted, sitting down on the bunk, not protesting when he shifted them so her back was to Danny and his hands moved to her shoulders. She wasn't carrying her water bottle and Danny assumed that it was empty.

Danny recalled the way Kara guzzled water during her period while they were in the Arctic He had actually made a smartass comment about it, resulting in a lecture from Kara on dehydration and why women needed more water than usual due to the bloating and blood loss. He considered the inch of water remaining in his water bottle, the one that he was saving for bedtime. He passed the bottle over to Kara. "Want a sip?"

Kara glanced over her shoulder, studying him for a moment, as though trying to figure something out. But she didn't turn him down, taking a small sip, swishing the water around in her mouth for several seconds before swallowing. "Thank you."

"How are things in CIC?" Danny asked.

She sighed, letting her head drop forward. "Barker has us all working doubles trying to find any source of water and making sure that there's no sign of the Vyerni."

Odd how little he knew about Kara's team, Danny realized. Not the way that she knew Frankie and, to a lesser extent Steve and Jay. Kara had easily slid into their world, coordinating many of the trips back and forth to the ice with Doctors Scott and Tophet and handling the debriefs. The task having been delegated to Kara and Carl Nishioka by Barker on the grounds that the weapons test was more important. Something that, in retrospect, felt laughable. Still, other than Nishioka, Danny barely knew any of the other CIC officers. Absently he unzipped Kara's coveralls, easing it over her arms, allowing him better access to her back. "This isn't the time to push people."

Again she glanced back at him, and this time he caught a flicker of surprise. As though she expected him to take a different position. Probably not an unreasonable reaction given his behavior since the cruise ship.

"Barker has a wife and kids at home. He's a mess and he's taking it out on everyone. Not that I blame him for being upset but..." Kara sighed. "It's hard dealing with him."

Kara wasn't talking about him. Danny knew that without having to ask. Even if he hadn't been the one to introduce the topic, Kara wasn't passive-aggressive. But it was a reminder that he had people under him who were probably saying the exact same thing right now. About how Green was a mess but given what happened to his team, he should get some slack. Danny made a mental note to check in on each of the guys. To make it clear that they could come to him with any concerns, even if that concern was him.

That, however, was something for tomorrow.

Tugging up Kara's t-shirt, he stroked the warm flesh of her back before sliding one hand around to rest on her stomach. Recalling how she told him how soothing that was one afternoon in the Arctic when they spent an entire four hours lying naked in his bunk. "Today Rowler and Walker got into it over the likely survival rates in their respective hometowns. I had to put them on opposite shifts."

"Seeing what Gitmo was like...it put everyone on edge." Kara dropped a hand to Danny's thigh, squeezing lightly, suddenly twisting until she was facing him, kneeling on the bunk between his legs. "But enough about that."

Reaching out, Kara tugged Danny's shirt over his head, before doing the same with her own. She leaned forward, wrapping an arm around his neck, pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth before her tongue slipped out to run along his lips. Easing back on the bunk, Danny pulled Kara with him, quickly disposing of her bra when it impeded his efforts to reach her breasts. Kara lifted her head. "When did you say that Tex would be back?"

He palmed a breast, lazily rolling the nipple between his fingers. "Not for another hour."

"Good." Sitting back, Kara reached down, making quick word of his shorts. As she stroked him, Danny bit back a groan. In an effort to distract himself, he twisted a hand into her hair, pulling her down for another kiss. But Kara allowed him only the briefest of contact before her mouth slid to his neck, nipping and licking her way to his shoulder, her teeth scoring him.

"Feeling bitey are we?" he panted, holding up his arm to show her the faded purple bite marks that still marred his bicep. A visual reminder of that night at Gitmo.

Kara laughed softly, taking one of his nipples into her mouth as she continued to slowly stroke him from base to tip. "Oh, poor baby. Did I hurt you?" She dropped to his stomach, her mouth tantalizingly close to his already aching cock. Kara looked up, eyes meeting his dead on. "I might know a way to make it up to you."

And then, without any more warning, she took him into her mouth, one hand circling his base while the other moved to his balls. Danny jerked, hands grasping the edge of the mattress, biting down so hard that he might have drawn blood. One hand lifted to tangle in her hair, not caring about the fact that he was ruining her bun. She ran her teeth down the side of his cock. "God yes."

Kara popped off, mock serious expression, before running her tongue across his weeping tip. "Oh, did you like that? Still, I wouldn't want to hurt you. A shame, really, when you taste so good."

Fuck, he was going to come right here, right now, no more control that a teenage boy. The words were a growl. "You can bite me anytime."

_Just sex. Just sex. Just sex._

And then she did, scaping her teeth across his balls before taking him deep in her throat and Danny's entire body surged off the bed. Grabbing his pillow, he dragged it across his face to muffle his own groans. He thought that Kara might be laughing, but between the silky smooth feel of her mouth and the pressure of her hands, he couldn't focus enough to be sure. For long minutes he rode that thin line between pleasure and pain before she gave a final twist of her tongue and Danny exploded into her mouth, holding her head as he jerked over and over.

As his breath slowed, Danny fixed his shorts before wrapping his arms around Kara's back, positioning her so that she was draped across him. He passed her the water bottle again, letting her drink before finishing what little remained in the bottle. His voice was low and husky when he finally managed to speak. "I'll return the favor next time."

Kara's head snuggled into his shoulder, one arm looped around his waist. "I'm counting on it."


	3. Trust

He followed her when she left the bonfire.

Danny had been waiting for his chance to catch Kara alone since they arrived at Serrena Bank yesterday and the Captain ordered everyone except essential personnel off the Nathan James, but there was always someone by her side. First Alisha and then Nishioka and then Carlton, damn it. And the last thing he needed right now was to be brushed off as a third wheel. Given the professional-lieutenant-and-nothing-more brushoff.

_Just sex_.

He had reminded himself that this was nothing more than a physical release over and over during the past five days. Since the night when he fell asleep in his bunk with his arms full of Kara, his body warm and sated, and woke up to Tex snoring. Since he walked into the wardroom the next morning, three stray bobby pins in his pocket, only to find her chatting casually with Gator, her nod towards him no more personal than the one he received from Nishioka.

So when Kara broke away from the crowd, waving Amanda and Alisha off when they made to follow, Danny grabbed the opportunity. Following her as she walked down the beach and then turned inland, making her way down a small hill to a stand of palms. Probably not the safest thing for Kara to be doing, wandering off by herself at night, but there didn't appear to be any significant animal life on this rock. When he reached the palms, Kara was standing against a tree, far enough inside to be hidden but also easily see anyone approaching. No surprise at his appearance. As though she knew he were following her.

Which, Danny figured, she probably did.

Stepping forward, he pressed her back against a tree. Lips descending without so much as a greeting, demanding rather than asking for entrance. Kara hooked one arm around his neck, the other circling his waist as she returned the fervent greeting. His hands slid under the t-shirt she wore, breaking the kiss just enough to slip it over her head, dropping to his knees before her, mouth latching onto a nipple though the practical white cotton of her bra. Kara gasped, her body jerking as he repeated the caress on the other side, unsnapping her bra and dropping it to the ground next to her shirt. Danny looked up, caught by how beautiful she looked in the moonlight. Biting down on her lower lip, eyes already clouded with passion, her hair falling forward as she gazed down at him, waiting to see what he would do next.

"Is now a good time?"

Kara caught his face between her hands, bending forward to kiss him lightly, almost sweetly. Before pressing her forehead to his with a sigh. "My birth control shot expired."

That was not what Danny was expecting to hear. "Can't you get another one?"

"Rios is out of them. It was supposed to be a four month cruise," Kara sounded as frustrated as he felt. "Do you have condoms?"

Yeah, on the fucking ship. They might as well be on the moon. "Not with me."

Kara dropped her head back against the tree. "Fuck."

"So we change up the agenda." Perhaps not what he initially had in mind, but the sight of her naked breasts looming in front of his face gave him plenty of inspiration to think outside the box. Or inside the box. That would work for him too.

Danny leaned forward, sucking a nipple into his mouth as one hand dropped to cup her lower back, drawing her towards him. Switching to the other breast, Danny grasped the waistband of her shorts, dragging them down her legs. His hand stroking up and down her inner thighs until, with a sigh, Kara spread her legs. Danny cupped her over her underwear, feeling her heat, as he continued to massage her breasts. He slid a finger up and down her slit, humming when he was rewarded with a gush of liquid. Groaning, Kara wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him closer. Her hips already rocking against him.

Pressing Kara back against the tree with one arm, he found her clit, rubbing gentle circles through the thin cotton of her underwear, trailing kisses down her stomach. Pausing to dip a tongue into her belly button before he pushed her underwear down, pulling one leg over his shoulder. Leaving her completely open to his eyes, his hands, his tongue. He traced her folds with a finger. She was already shaking, her breath short, and he had barely touched her. The anticipation - the knowledge - of what was coming next pushing them both to the edge of their control. Danny leaned forward, replacing his fingers with his tongue, hearing her gasp, feeling the way that her fingers dug into his scalp as his breath ghosted across her most sensitive flesh. "God you're beautiful."

Holding her still with the hand on her stomach, Danny slipped the other hand down, pressing a thumb into her, finding the spot that he knew was there. Kara gave a sharp cry that was cut off when she slapped her hand across her mouth. Even here, in the relative protection of the palms, there was no guarantee that they wouldn't be seen or heard. Replacing his thumb with two fingers, Danny began pumping in and out, alternating the rhythm with his mouth. Kara was shaking, muffled sighs and groans escaping despite her best efforts. Cupping her ass with his free hand, he spread her open further, sucking her clit just as he pressed upwards. Immediately feeling the way her whole body went rigid, and then collapsed, quivering around his fingers as she came, the waves going on and on and on.

Wiping his mouth on her thigh, Danny shifted her leg from his shoulder, yanking off his shorts as he rose from his knees. Wrapping her legs around his waist, his cock nudging at her entrance before he remembered her earlier comment. He dropped his head to her shoulder, lips ghosting across her neck. "You're sure it expired?"

Her eyes opened, still dazed from her orgasm. She licked her lips and he could feel his cock twitch in response. "Thursday. Three months was Thursday."

_Thursday?_ Danny had to think about what day it was. _Maybe Sunday?_ That meant three days old. Three days was nothing. Wasn't that like eating day old leftovers? Hell, he and Frankie once ate six-month old sour cream after returning home from a four-month deployment at 0300 and needing something to slap on their burritos. Three days was a joke.

Kara dropped her hand to wrap around his cock, pumping up and down slowly. Rubbing him through her damp folds, nails tracing him from tip to base. He could come just with this, already so close that it was painful. And yet, this was nothing compared to the feeling of being inside Kara, her walls gripping him, squeezing him, driving him over the edge. He took a deep breath. "So not expired. Just at the expiration date. Barely a risk at all."

"It doesn't work that way." Kara paused, panting. "I can't think right now. All I can think about is..."

His mouth moved to the back of her ear, drawing her earlobe into his mouth, feeling her shudder in response. "Then stop thinking. Just tell me what you want."

The pause before Kara answered was the longest ten seconds of his life. And then she was shifting, lining them up, slipping him into her folds. "I want you inside me."

Danny didn't wait, didn't give her a chance to change her mind, surging forward until he was buried to the hilt. They both groaned, their mouths coming together, mimicking the actions of their body as he slowly began pumping in and out. Letting them both adjust. Wanting to make it last, to enjoy every second. This time together - alone - too precious to squander.

But the scent of her arousal and the feeling of her contracting around him was overwhelming, and Danny found his pace quickening even as he fought to keep it slow and steady. Kara was meeting him stroke for stroke, her nails biting into his back, likely marking him, and the knowledge only drove him harder. She dragged his mouth back to hers, her breath ragged, tightening her legs around his waist, tilting her pelvis to allow him to slip even deeper, squeezing him with every thrust. Danny was shaking now, barely managing to keep them upright, the rhythm becoming more and more uncoordinated as he drove them both closer and closer to the edge.

And then Kara stiffened, locking her legs around him so tightly that he could barely move, buried inside her more deeply than he believed was possible. She pulsed around him, the sensation going on and on until he exploded, mouth buried in her neck to drown out the groan that escaped him as his climax raged through him.

Wrapping his arms around Kara, Danny managed to turn so that his back was to the tree, sliding down until they were both sitting on the ground. Bodies still connected, their breath too ragged to speak. Finally, Kara shifted, her head moving to his shoulder and Danny pulled her more snugly against him. Unbothered by the rocks already digging into his ass or the rough bark of the tree behind him. Caring only that Kara was here, in his arms, somehow making everything better.

He stroked his hand up and down her back, feeling the slick sweat that coated both of them. After a few minutes, Kara raised her head, their eyes meeting. She lifted a hand to the base of his neck, playing with his curls. "You need a haircut."

"You offering?" Danny replied, rubbing a hand up and down a thigh that was still wrapped around his waist. Still cradling him within her.

"You going to make it worth my while?" Kara challenged, a gleam in her eyes.

In response, Danny raised a hand to her breast, squeezing. "I always rise to a challenge."

Kara tugged him forward for a soft kiss. Her free hand tracing a line from his chest to his pelvis, where they remained connected, before continuing around to his ass. Danny could feel himself hardening again, something she must have noticed too as she began rocking gently against him. Reaching behind him, Danny unhooked her ankles, moving her feet so that she was kneeling on top of him before leaning back to give her more leverage. Letting her take the lead. He gazed at Kara in the dim light that was filtering through the palms, watching her face as she moved slowly, her eyes drifting closed. So damn beautiful that it actually hurt.

"I've missed you." The words slipped out. Not the ones he wanted to say, had wanted to say since that night at Gitmo, but still a confession. One that crept too close to the line that they had drawn.

_Just sex_.

Kara's eyes opened, taking in his words, before leaning down for another languid kiss. One that went on and on and on, their bodies in perfect synch as they moved closer and closer to completion. Quiet, this time. Almost gentle. More comfort than passion. _Intimate_.

Once they were done, for good, and they had been there long enough to start to feel chilly, Kara lifted herself up on her elbows, leaning over to drop a final kiss on his lips. Her words a balm for his soul.

"I've missed you, too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - once, when I was slightly tipsy (or totally drunk, depending on who you ask), I joked that I was anally carefully about birth control. As you can imagine, my friends still love to bring that up. Therefore, I cannot imagine anyone comparing birth control and sour cream but, hey, I'm also not a crazy-horney-and-in-love-but-also-totally-in-denial guy stuck on a desert island and expecting to die any day so... Anyway, thank you all for the support on this story. I love you all! xoxo - tmtcltb


	4. Respect

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - I did promise a *tiny* bit of plot, didn't I? Here you go. Pretty sure that we are back to smut next chapter (although I'm going off memory and November feels a loooooong time ago at this point). xoxo - tmtcltb

"No sign of the Russians, Captain," Kara reported. Chandler was nodding as she continued her explanation of the different ways of tracking the Vyerni, as well as options for getting safely back to the United States with Doctor Scott's vaccine. This typically would have been Commander Barker's job but the man was mysteriously absent from the briefing. Danny tried to pay attention as Kara continued.

"We anticipate that the Russians are in this area," Kara indicated a large circle on the map around Jamaica, "so the safest option would be to head due east to the coast of Africa and then move slowly north until the vaccine is ready. The Russians seem unlikely to look for us there. Once Doctor Scott is ready, we could turn northwest and make a run for Norfolk."

How ironic that the Western Coast of Africa - a place where Danny had been deployed to more than once due to almost chronic unrest - was safer than the Eastern Coast of the United States. Not that they knew that for sure, of course. With the current state of the world, nobody knew anything anymore.

Captain Chandler glanced up, apparently on the same wavelength as Danny. "What do the satellite images look like?"

"Everything looks clear at the moment, sir," Kara replied.

"That puts us a couple weeks from the States once the vaccine is ready," Captain Chandler replied. "Mike?"

Danny tuned them out, barely listening, unable to focus. His mind instead on rapists and villagers and monkeys. On what went down in Nicaragua. Not the most deplorable acts he had seen people commit. No, the Taliban still topped that list with Somalia pirates coming in a close second, no apparent limits to either group's depravity. But the complicity of those villagers. The way they all let El Toro take control, even when that meant allowing him to banish and effectively kill their own children.

Sure, they were civilians. Sure, they were terrified - both of the virus and of El Toro. But to sacrifice their children, under any circumstances, was something that Danny could not understand. And that led down a dangerous path. One that Danny had tried to avoid since that day in the Arctic when the crew first learned about the virus.

_At what point was the world no longer worth saving?_

Maybe once Doctor Scott had the vaccine or, more likely, once she failed and the Captain put back in at Norfolk, Danny would ask Kara to leave the ship with him. They could look for her mom and maybe his family, then just hole up. Wait for the worst of the virus to burn itself out and then try to start over.

Or, at least, be together at the end.

"Fuel would be tight," Slattery was saying, studying the map. One that none of them could actually trust. "There should be a fuel depot off Senegal but we all saw what was going on in Europe. There's no guarantee that we would find anything."

"Or that the Russians haven't nuked it," Carlton murmured under his breath to Danny, who nodded.

"We must also consider the impact of morale, sirs, ma'am," Russ Jeter interjected. "The crew is anxious to return to the States and attempt to contact their families."

A quiet fell. Slattery was the one to respond. "As we all are, Master Chief."

"What if we feinted, sir?" Kara asked. She swung the map around. "Instead of going north towards Cuba, we head east as if we were headed towards Africa, before looping around. It will add some time and burn more fuel but it gives us more options if we need to hide behind one of the islands. Plus, once we clear Puerto Rico, it's a straight shot north to Norfolk. We could go dark and outrun the Russians if necessary."

"Excellent idea, Foster. Let's adjust our course." Chandler was nodding and Danny felt a bit of pride in Kara. Admiration for her ability to power through any situation that was thrown at her, including taking the lead in a critical strategy meeting after Barker punted. Chandler must have been thinking the same, as he asked the question that everyone was wondering. "How is Commander Barker?"

Kara hesitated. "Better, I think, sir. Rios wanted him off his feet for the day."

Well, that definitely meant something juicy happened. Danny made a mental note to ask Tex, who no doubt knew what was going down before it happened. The man was almost spooky that way.

"I'll stop by to see him," Captain Chandler was saying, and Danny wondered again why he had been summoned to this meeting, having said less than five words during the last hour. "Everyone dismissed."

Danny made it approximately ten feet down the p-way before Kara was suddenly in front of him. "Do you have a few minutes to discuss the range of the Russian helicopters, Lieutenant Green?"

He was exhausted, hoping to actually get some shut-eye after an evening spent tossing and turning. Reliving every moment of the events in Nicaragua, the way he always did after a mission. But Kara didn't mess around while she was on duty. If she said she needed help, then she needed help. He waved Burk off, turning in the opposite direction to follow Kara. "Of course."

Next to him Kara was saying something about range and aerial footage and boosting the signal to try to detect the Vyerni, completely professional, as she always was when she was on shift. Which, Danny supposed, was why he was completely unprepared when she yanked him into the broom closet around the corner from CIC. Her hands immediately pushing at his shirt. "Kara, what..."

"I saw the blood," Kara replied, her voice barely a whisper. "When you got back. You were all covered. I know that ... I know you can't tell me what happened but I need to know that you're okay. _Please_."

It was her last word that did it, not so much the word as the tone, the pleading note, the apparent desperation, and Danny caved. Helping her pull his shirt over his head, despite the fact that they were in a well-used broom closet just off a highly-trafficked pathway and they were definitely going to get caught. Waiting patiently as she ran her palms across his chest, his back, his stomach. The last causing him to draw in his breath sharply as her arm brushed against a rather sensitive portion of his anatomy. "I'm fine, Kara."

But she was shaking her head. "You aren't. None of you are. I saw the way you looked when you boarded the ship. Something happened out there and I want...I need...I can't..."

And then he saw the tears glittering in her eyes. He bent without conscious thought, cupping her face in his hands, pressing her back against the wall. Bringing her lips to his, plundering her mouth. Reminding her - and perhaps himself - that he was here, still alive, in the most primitive way possible. Remembering the one fucking good thing in his life right now.

He tore his mouth from hers, breath ragged, leaning his forehead against her shoulder. "They're dying, Kara. The people we saw. They were sick."

Her hands ran up and down his back. "Like at Gitmo."

Danny knew that he wasn't supposed to be sharing any of this, but he couldn't seem to stop talking. He pulled her closer, as though she could warm the place inside him that hadn't thawed since they lost Frankie. "Worse. Because those were just bodies. These people were still alive but there was nothing we could do. They were begging us and all we could do was run away. And then there were the uninfected..."

She waited without speaking, her arms wrapped around his shoulder, her mouth pressing soft kisses along his chin.

"It's turning people into monsters," he continued, unable to stop the flow of words now that he had begun. "There was a village full of healthy people. It was run by a madman. A drug cartel took over. And those people are so scared of the virus that they are allowing their children to be sacrificed to keep themselves safe. Kids, Kara. We couldn't leave them. That would have made us just as bad. There was nothing we could do for the people who were sick but for the others..."

"You did the right thing," Kara whispered, her hands running over his back. Her words a balm to his soul. "You did what you could to help."

"This virus is turning people into monsters and..." he stopped, unable to say out loud the words that were pounding in his head.

Kara reached up, grasping his head between her hands. "You are not a monster, Danny. Sometimes the only way to fight evil is with evil. But that doesn't change who you are. And you are a good man. Otherwise you wouldn't care about what was happening to those people."

Her words echoing through his head. Words that were so much more convincing when Kara was the one speaking. And yet... "I don't know how much more of this I can take."

A tear rolled down her cheek, and then a second. Danny wiped them away with the pad of his thumb before running his thumb across her lips. Bending down again to kiss her again, softly this time, gently. Kara's mouth opened and her tongue swiped across his bottom lip. He groaned, suddenly wishing that they were somewhere more private. Much, much more private. He captured her mouth, greedier this time, not bothering to hide the need that swelled anytime she was near. In response, Kara pulled him closer, her hands clenching at his back, their bodies pressed together as closely as their uniforms would allow. When their mouths finally parted, they were both gasping.

_Fuck_. If they were anywhere except a damn public broom closet...

Danny stepped back, breathing deeply. He retrieved his shirt, pulling it over his head while Kara smoothed her hair and adjusted her uniform. "Did you really need me to come by CIC?"

Some of the color in Kara's cheeks faded as she returned to the present. She sighed. "Actually yes. Commander Barker asked if we could go over the specs on the Russian helicopters again."

Damn Barker, working Kara to death. Even Danny could see that she didn't look good, presumably running on too much caffeine and too little sleep. "What the hell happened to him anyway?"

Kara hesitated only a second. "He's hung over. God knows where he got the booze. Must have smuggled some of the rotgut from the island. Rios is covering for him with the enlisted guys but it'll probably come out. Captain can't just ignore it. Barker's a mess, Danny. Worried about his wife and kids. I don't blame him but..." Kara sighed. "I don't know what is going to happen, Danny. I really don't. We can't keep this up much longer. Running from one threat to another in the hope that Rachel can pull a rabbit out of her hat."

Only moments ago, Kara knew exactly what to say to Danny. And now the tables were turned and he had no idea what to say in return. "What time do you think you'll be off?"

Kara shrugged, and he could almost feel her exhaustion. "Not anytime soon. Nishioka and I split Barker's shifts so I'm pulling a double today plus I need to coordinate with Commander Garnett on some of the repairs."

Checking for observers, Danny stepped in the p-way, motioning for her to join him after confirming that nobody was around. He ran a critical eye over her but Kara looked as put together as she had in the meeting only minutes earlier. "Come by when the cabin you're done."

She turned, her eyes questioning. "Tex?"

"He's on second shift but if he's there, we'll go on deck." Hell, a walk in the moonlight sounded pretty damn good right now. Maybe in the dark he could hold her hand. "So make sure to knock, just in case."

A smile crossed Kara's face. Danny might not have a clue of what to say, but at least he could give her something to look forward to. "We'll see. So, about the helos..."

As Kara launched into a detailed discussion of the Vyerni's offensive capabilities, Danny let her voice roll over him. Amazed at how simply being in her presence could be so soothing. Forcing away the thought immediately.

_Remember, it was just sex._


	5. Commitment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - and we're back to smut. What can I say? Danny has a one-track mind. LOL.

Danny opened his eyes in confusion, blinking at the dazzling sunlight as he took in the white sandy beach and rolling water before him. _Had they gone back to Serrana Bank?_ But no, Serrana Bank didn't look like this, those beaches filled with rocks and inlets rather than shimmering white sand. He glanced down, realizing that he was sitting in a lounge chair that looked suspiciously like the ones from the Caribbean resort he and Frankie hit just before getting recalled for the mission to the Arctic.

_Where the hell was he?_

He must have said the words out-loud, because Kara answered him. "Oh good, you're finally awake."

"Kara?" Her voice had him jerking upright, his head swinging around so quickly that he had to close his eyes against the resulting vertigo. Once the dizziness receded, he turned his head to find Kara sitting next to him in her own lounger. Wearing a sweet bandana style bikini, a green one tied with a knot nestled between her breasts that gave him a nice view of her flat stomach and toned shoulders. Reading _The Art of War_ , of all things. Danny took a quick look around but, apart from Kara, he could see nobody in either direction. Simply miles and miles of surf and sand. Odd that the XO wouldn't have set up a watch, like at Serrana Bank, but this island must be safe. Perhaps it was unaffected by the virus?

Of course, none of that explained how he got here and why he didn't remember anything after heading to the crew lounge for a game of poker.

"Yes, lieutenant," Kara teased. She reached down to grab something from the ground next to her. Danny's eyes grew wide as he saw that she was holding a bottle of beer. _Was he dead?_ Perhaps he had been infected in Nicaragua after all, and this was heaven. Although, if Kara was here, did that mean she was dead too?

He must have spoken out-loud because Kara shook her head at him, moving until she was seated next to him on his lounger. She lifted the bottle to his lips. "You aren't dead, Danny. We're both still alive."

The cool beer felt amazing on his raw throat and Danny groaned. "What happened?"

"Do you remember collapsing in the lounge?" Kara asked, lifting his beer away to take a sip of her own. Danny shook his head mutely. The last thing he remembered was trying to refill his water cup in the crew lounge on the Nathan James. "You have Dengue Fever. Must have gotten bitten by something in Nicaragua. It's endemic there."

Trust Kara to use big words while her breasts were tantalizingly close. He tried to swallow, but his throat was annoyingly dry. "Is there more of that beer?"

He could have sworn that Kara's face changed at his words, and then she leaned forward, pressing a kiss against his forehead, a hand rubbing across his cheek. She lifted the bottle and tipped it back. Pouring the liquid down his throat as though he were an infant. Strangely the beer tasted almost like water. Must be a light beer. When he had the choice, Danny much preferred a nice stout. Still, beggars couldn't be choosers.

Kara spoke softly. "Here you go. As much as you want."

Sighing with relief, Danny tried to wrap his arms around her waist, to pull her closer, but Kara wiggled free and stood up. "I have to go but I'll come by to see you later."

"Already?" He was disappointed for only a second, watching as she headed towards the waves. The bikini hugging the curves of her ass as she moved. And then she reached the water, hands rising above her head as she dove in, disappearing for several long moments before she reappeared. Shaking water from her hair. Smiling. Laughing. _Happy._ He watched spellbound as she sliced through the water.

After a few minutes of playing, she waved to him, beckoning him to join her, and Danny didn't hesitate, striding to the edge of the water. Letting the swells crash over his feet. Kara stood and began walking towards him through the surf. His attention fully focused on the sight of her. Hair plastered against her head. Stomach flat and smooth. Bikini drooping just enough for him to get a glimpse of a dark pink areola. Kara laughed, raising her hands to her hips, doing a little spin. "Like what you see, do you, Lieutenant Green?"

"I can think of a way to make it better," he growled, moving towards her through the waves. Catching the knot of her top and wrestling it open, tossing the damn thing somewhere, not caring if it was lost to the ocean forever. His entire focus on the sight before him. His first time seeing her breasts in the sunlight. Too many of their encounters rushed and hidden behind the darkness of night or a cabin without windows. Watching the way that her nipples tightened as he stared, a flush rising from her breasts all the way to her face. Torn between the desire to lavish every inch of her body with his tongue, and the urge to carry her to the lounge chair, strip off both of their clothing and plunge into her then and there.

Kara stepped forward, hand going to his hardening cock, running her fingers up and down as she played with the side of her swimsuit bottom. "I'll take off mine if you take off yours."

Danny had his shorts off before she finished the sentence, dropping to his knees to peel off Kara's bottom. Ignoring the waves that splashed against his ass. "Let me."

He took the opportunity to run a teasing finger over her folds, causing her laughter to turn to a hiss and her hands to grab his shoulders for support. He slipped a finger into her, and then a second, pressing and stretching, gaze never leaving her face. Watching the way her eyes drifted closed. How her mouth parted slightly as she waited to see what he would do next. Noticing the way that her tongue darted out to lick her lips. He tried to memorize every detail.

_Something to remember during those moments in the dark._

Unless, of course, they weren't going back to the James. Or, at least, the Nathan James didn't plan to leave this island. The thought brought back Danny's earlier confusion but, before he could even begin to figure out what was going on, Kara's hips began rocking and Danny brought his focus back to the task at hand. Focusing solely on the woman before him. Holding her steady as he continued to move his fingers within her, pushing her to the edge and then pulling back until she was moaning, her nails digging into his shoulders.

_"Please."_ Her eyes opened, staring down at him, and he was lost.

Keeping her gaze as long as possible, Danny leaned forward until he could stroke her with his tongue, the double assault apparently more than Kara could handle as she gave a sharp cry. He wrapped an arm around her waist, keeping her upright as her legs began buckling, working his fingers until the last moment. Nursing out every quiver and pulse and moan, until she collapsed bonelessly in his arms. Somehow he managed to get them out of the water, tumbling them onto the sand of the beach. His gaze running over every bare inch of her, splayed before him.

Which is when he noticed the slim gold band sitting on the third finger of her left hand. His eyes jerked to his own hand, confusion only increasing when he saw the matching band. He felt panic rising as he searched his memory for something - anything - to explain what had happened. How he got here. Where everyone else was. What those rings meant.

But then Kara's eyes opened, and she reached out, pulling him to her. Wrapping her arms and legs around him. Entwining their fingers. And all of the confusion and panic and worry disappeared in an instant. Because none of that mattered. _Only Kara._

Danny stared down at her as he slid deep inside, watching every expression that crossed her face. Listening to every groan and sob. Feeling the warm sun across his back as he lost himself in Kara. No need to worry about being caught and punished. No need to hide away in the dark, muffling their voices to avoid detection. No need to rush to make sure that they were done before Tex reappeared. Thrusting slowly, Danny dragged it out as long as he possibly could. Until Kara was clutching at him, begging for release. Until he was shaking from the effort of holding himself at bay. She arched against him, and his control broke. His body taking over, driving him over the edge.

He and Kara lay naked under the warm sun, the surf washing at their feet and then their legs. Too tired to move. Too sated. Too content.

A shadow fell over him and Danny opened his eyes to find Kara sitting up, placing a hand across his forehead. Lifting his own hand, he caught hers, bringing it to his lips. Studying the ring that she was wearing for a moment, no longer worried about how it got there, only knowing that it felt right. Pressing a kiss against her open palm. "I love you."

At that distance, Kara couldn't hide her shock at his words, or the tears that filled her eyes. He reached up to cup her cheek and Kara leaned her face against his hand, eyes drifting closed. And then she spoke.

"I love you too."


	6. Accountability

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - we all knew this was coming because, well, Danny definitely acts like a three-year-old at times. Actually, my three-year-old whines less. But I digress... Lines in italics are slightly modified dialogue from Season 1, Episode 7, SOS. xoxo - tmtcltb

"I ran into Carlton." Kara's voice was low, composed. Danny didn't move from his position on the aft deck, hearing Slattery's words echoing through his head.

_We thought that two weeks double night watch would be good for you. Starting tonight._

"This isn't a good time, Kara," he hissed. Sure it was 0200 and everyone who wasn't stuck on an overnight shift was asleep, but that didn't mean they weren't going to get caught. Wouldn't that be perfect? Caught fraternizing on his first night of punishment for fraternizing. Maybe he could just keep doing overnights until his enlistment was up in three years.

Assuming he lived that long, which seemed increasingly unlikely, given Doctor Scott's lack of progress on a vaccine.

Kara continued as though Danny hadn't spoken. "Carlton told me all about your little chat with the team."

"You just got done with extra watch shifts," he snapped. "Do you want to start right back up again?"

"At least I'm willing to admit to my mistakes," Kara snapped back, and Danny suddenly realized that she was furious. He glanced over his shoulder, but she was hidden in the shadows. Running dark made it harder for the Russians - or anyone else, assuming there was anyone else alive - to find the Nathan James, but it also made it almost impossible to see anything in the milky darkness. "They all think that I fucked up, Danny. That I screwed up the mission at Gitmo and dragged you down with me. Hell, apparently you described me as some sort of femme fatale. Carlton congratulated me on my feminine wiles."

_As well as complete transparency as to why you're being punished. It's not enough that people know you broke the rules. They need to know why breaking the rules is dangerous._

"That's not what I said," Danny protested.

_Fucking Carlton._ What was the guy's problem anyway? Danny had done exactly what Slattery told him to do. Explained to the team how he allowed Kara to distract him during a critical moment at Gitmo. Acknowledged that he slowed the RHIB down before they reached the primary objective, putting the entire ship - _putting all of them_ \- in danger. Informed them that he would no longer work with Kara unless it was absolutely necessary and, even then, never alone. Made clear to everyone that there would be no repeat of what happened at Gitmo.

Kara snorted. "Yes, Danny, it is. You that everyone that I distracted you, even though the only thing that I did was follow the damn mission plan."

"Well, it's true," Danny hissed. "You did distract me. Hell, you shouldn't have even been there. You weren't qualified. You should have told the CO to find someone else."

"What?"

Her voice was louder this time, and Danny turned. "Will you be quiet!"

"Do you actually mean that?" She sounded stunned, but at least she lowered her voice. "Danny? That the reason things went south was because I wasn't _qualified_?"

Danny stared out at the waves, lipped pressed together, hand clenched on the guard rail. Allowing the silence to stretch. Refusing to get drawn into a discussion of _who, what, where, when_ with Kara. Reminding himself that if she had just stayed where she was supposed to, safely within the confines of CIC, none of this would have happened.

"I see." When Kara finally spoke, her voice was flat. "You weren't even supposed to be on that RHIB. You volunteered, Danny. You put yourself, _you put both of us_ , in that position. But somehow you've still managed to convince yourself that what happened is my fault. Because apparently my mere existence is enough to cause your brain to short-circuit." Kara paused before delivering the death blow. "I never imagined you being that guy, Danny. The kind who can't take responsibility for his own actions."

_You should know, sir, I cut it off._

The trepidation began the moment that Danny woke up to the metal underside of a bunk rather than the Caribbean sun. Turning to see Rios, rather than Kara, sitting by his side. Finding himself reflectively looking down at his left hand, uncertain of what was real and what wasn't. Panic setting in upon learning that, not only had he been hallucinating for days and saying who-knows-what, but the entire crew knew about his relationship with Kara.

And, even worse, the CO knew what happened at Gitmo.

Danny's first act upon finally seeing Kara was to tell her that whatever was going on between them was done. That she should leave him alone. Then, before she could utter a single word, he had turned to stare at the wall of the cabin. Ignoring the icy knot in his stomach, pretending that he hadn't seen the stricken look in her eyes. Forcing himself to focus on damage-control.

_Doesn't change a word that I said._

But Slattery hadn't cared. Seeing Danny's words for what they were. A way to make himself feel better, as though breaking things off with Kara could somehow make up for almost blowing up the Nathan James. And perhaps realizing, long before Danny, that cutting Kara off hadn't done a darn thing to change how Danny felt about her.

"I'm not the only one who fucked up," Danny spat back, wanting to wound Kara the way that she had him. "You could have killed everyone on this ship running around like that."

"You're right," Kara replied, her voice back to the deathly calm of earlier. "When I ran down to the crew lounge, I put everyone that I passed at risk. Which is what I told my team. I told them that I screwed up. I got personally involved with another officer and that it clouded my judgment. So in a crisis, I put my own feelings for him over the safety of this crew. Of my friends. I told them that I was sorry and that I hoped they could forgive me. And then I asked them to let me know if they thought I wasn't being objective in the future, because I didn't want to make the same mistake again."

_I just don't want people to lose faith in me, sir._

Silence fell as Danny absorbed Kara's words. Realizing with a rush of unease how differently they had approached the same conversation. Kara apologizing and asking her team to come to her with concerns in the future. Danny side-stepping the fact that he wasn't even supposed to be on that RHIB, blaming Kara for distracting him, and indicating that he wouldn't work with her again. Problem solved. No further discussion necessary. Except...

Danny's hands tightened as he realized that Carlton running into Kara tonight wasn't a coincidence. Kara got off at midnight and usually headed straight to her cabin, which meant that Burk must have deliberately tracked her down to tell her what Danny said. A clear message - to both of them. The message to Kara - a well-respected, long-term crew member of the Nathan James' crew - that Carlton wasn't buying Green's bullshit. And the message to Danny that he had royally fucked up. That instead of inspiring confidence in his leadership, Danny was alienating his team. _Fuck_. He needed to get in front of this thing now, before it spiraled.

Or, rather, spiraled more. God forbid that this require another conversation with the XO.

_You're a leader. Lead._

"But you know what my real mistake was, Danny?" Kara asked, interrupting Danny's thoughts.

He paused, not wanting to know what she was about to say next, until the tension became unbearable. "What?"

"My biggest mistake was believing that you were worth the risk."

And with that parting shot, Kara disappeared into the darkness. Leaving Danny alone, nothing to do but stare into the night, replaying the conversation over and over again.

Wondering how the hell he was going to manage to fix this without losing the only two things that he still cared about. Kara and the Nathan James.


	7. Communication

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - so, the plan for this chapter was a little bit of talk and a lot of wham, bam, thank you ma'am, but then feelings got involved. Damn feelings. But we know these two well enough to be certain that they are fundamentally incapable of keeping their hands off each other for long so... xoxo - tmtcltb

Danny slipped into Kara's cabin without knocking, uncertain of his welcome and not wanting a fight spilled out into the corridor. Sure, by now everyone knew that he and Kara had a thing, but discretion was still the better part of valor. Especially when it was just past midnight on the day when the vaccine trial was scheduled to start. With the crew already on edge, an incident in the officers' quarters was exactly _not_ what the XO had ordered.

"Danny? Why are you here? Is the ship under attack?"

Kara sounded wide awake. Not surprising, really, that she would have trouble falling asleep the night before deliberately infecting herself with the world's most dangerous virus. Still, he had been hoping that Kara would be sleeping. Then he could kiss her awake. Talk to her while she was still groggy and more malleable. More willing to listen to him. Perhaps even more willing to try to see his perspective.

_Oh, who was he kidding?_

Kara was never malleable. Solicitous, accommodating, a team player, _a professional_. All the things that made her a good sailor, a good leader. But beneath all of that was a woman who was currently very, very angry at him, albeit for good reason. Frankly, Danny was just hoping that she didn't throw anything at his head. Following their conversation on deck, Danny had gotten a crash course in the difference between discrete Kara and pissed off Kara. Turns out that all those times he felt ignored in favor of others were nothing compared to the deep freeze he was currently experiencing.

They were in the damn Caribbean and he was checking his extremities for frostbite.

"No, nothing's wrong. Ship is fine." He crossed the cabin cautiously, settling on the side of her bunk. He could hear blankets shifting and then a light flared as Kara switched her phone to flashlight mode, providing enough of a glow for him to see her face. Her eyes were red and puffy, and he realized that she had been crying. He lifted a hand, rubbing the pad of his thumb across her cheek. "Are you okay?"

"I was thinking about my mom." Kara's eyes closed and she sighed, leaning into his hand for a moment before she straightened, sitting up against the wall. "Aren't you supposed to be on overnight watch?"

Danny shook his head. Finding, now that he was here, he had no idea what to say, despite rehearsing this conversation for hours. "XO gave me the night off. Thought that the guys could use the support."

"I saw that both Rick and Tex were chosen for the trial," Kara replied. "Hard blow for the team."

It was, especially coming so soon after losing Cosetti. Seeing that both Tex and Rick had been chosen, Danny had felt a sense of deja vu. Two months ago, his team was Green, Benz, Berchem and Smith. Two weeks ago, his team was Green, Nolan, Cosetti and Miller. Next week, the team might be completely different again. Hell, even if Tex and Rick sailed through the vaccine trial, there was every possibility that Danny wouldn't make it another week. The statistics finally catching up with him.

But his dismay upon learning that Tex and Rick were chosen paled in comparison to the alarm Danny felt when he realized that Kara was also part of the trial. His utter paralysis at the horrifying realization that he might never see her again.

Danny had spent the last week replaying their last conversation - talking about the Russians or Doctor Scott or the vaccine in CIC didn't count - over and over again in his head. Going with the tried-and-true strategy of focusing on one problem at a time, he started by talking to each member of his team individually. Spending time with them outside of training sessions, wanting them to see him as _Danny_ as well as _Lieutenant Green_. Hell, he actually went as far as pulling Burk aside to ask for the other man's advice on how to rebuild trust. With the situation with his team back under control, Danny planned to approach Kara in a few days. Hoping that, by then, she would be willing to talk.

And then Doctor Scott's list came out, and Danny realized that he was out of time.

Danny shifted so that he could pick up one of Kara's hands, stroking his thumb across the pale skin. "Miller has balls. I knew that he had potential when I chose him to take Benz's spot but he's gone above and beyond. And Nolan has grown on me." Danny paused. "I left Miller and Tex playing cards with Cruz and Burk. Doubt any of them will sleep. Too anxious."

"I know the feeling," Kara murmured. Then, with a sigh, she looked straight at Danny. "You didn't answer my question. Why are you here, Danny?"

This was the moment. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" Kara prompted, apparently unwilling to make this easy for him. Still, she didn't pull her hand away, instead turning her palm so that their fingers intertwined. Danny took that as a good sign.

"Sorry that I was an ass." He blurted the words. "You were right. My biggest mistake wasn't slowing down, it was getting on that RHIB in the first place. I shouldn't have blamed you for distracting me. I fucked up that whole conversation. Both because it wasn't true, and because of the message that it sent the guys. That I was the kind of guy who doesn't take responsibility for my fuck ups. I talked to Tex..."

"You talked to Nolan?" Kara interrupted. "Why?"

Danny found himself thrown by the question, only to realize that Kara knew Tex about as well as he knew Gator. In other words, they were practically strangers. "Tex is different when he's one-on-one. In the wardroom he's all jokes - bad ones, mostly - and bravado. But he's also got good people skills. He guessed that something was going on between us almost immediately."

Again Kara interrupted. "He did?"

"He said knew the first time he saw us together. Said that I was about as subtle as a jackhammer," Danny admitted. "Anyway, I talked to both Tex and Burk about how to fix things. With the guys, I mean. I spoke with each of them. One on one this time. I don't think any of them ever believed it was your fault, Kara. But if they did, I corrected it. Told them that my mistake wasn't stopping. Well, not my first mistake. My first mistake was getting on the RHIB in the first place, knowing that my judgment was compromised."

Kara was silent for so long that Danny started to wonder if she was going to throw something at him after all. "I knew that you talked to the guys. Carlton told me."

_Of course he did_. Danny was tempted to track down Burk and punch him for being so damn annoying. The asshole probably thought that he was helping.

Kara fiddled with her blanket. "Carlton thinks that I'm being too tough on you. Said that I couldn't really blame a blockhead for not knowing his ass from his elbow when it comes to handling strong feelings. Alisha agrees. She said, and I quote, that you have the emotional intelligence of a cereal box."

Danny recalled Granderson complaining to everyone at dinner that she was stuck on the bridge all night, leaving Kara alone. Perhaps the comments hadn't been quite as offhand as he initially thought. Danny's spirits lifted slightly. It was good to have allies, even if those allies were grudging. He decided to push his luck. "Does that mean I'm forgiven?"

Again, Kara fell silent. Then she pulled her hand away. "Yes, you're forgiven. Now get out of here before we both end up on overnight watch."

That was _not_ how Danny imagined this conversation going. Sure, he thought there was a chance that Kara would refuse to talk to him at all but, once they got past that part, he expected some sort of thaw. Maybe sex wasn't on the table quite yet, although just being together in her cabin was testing the limits of his self-control, but a bit of kissing seemed a fair ask. He squinted at her in the darkness. "You're still mad."

Kara crossed her arms over her chest, only to make a face and drop them back to her sides. "I'm not mad. You apologized. I accepted it. What more is there to say?"

"What about...what about what's going on...with us, I mean," Danny stumbled through the words.

"Danny," Kara sighed. "You've made it perfectly clear that there is no _us_. That whatever we had is over."

"You mean about what I said when I woke up after dengue fever?" Danny replied, regrouping, relieved to have figured out the issue. Anger, he could deal with. "I was hallucinating, Kara ..."

"I know."

Her quiet comment caught his attention, but Danny shook it off. _She couldn't possibly know what he was dreaming about_. "Then you get why I was confused. One minute I was in the crew lounge and the next I was waking up days later to the news that everyone knew we were fraternizing. So I panicked."

But Kara was shaking her head. "I understand that, Danny. But it doesn't change the result. You were right to break things off. We crossed a line and we needed to stop."

Danny felt a moment of panic. _He was losing her_. And he couldn't blame it on the virus, or his job, or fucking Burk. No, this was one hundred percent completely his fault.

The words spewed forth without conscious thought, spawned by the fear that this really might be his last chance. "I screwed up at Gitmo. And I want to make that right by following the rules while we're on the ship. Well, most of the rules," he amended when she gave him a dry look, their current situation not exactly regulation. "But..." The words _I love you_ were on the tip of his tongue, but Danny couldn't bring himself to say them. Not now. Not when she would probably see them as a ploy to convince her to change her mind. Every time he had joked that _all's fair in love and war_ coming back to bit him. "But I don't want to lose what we have either, Kara. Because it's something special. And you could die tomorrow and...I don't want you to die thinking that this was just about sex for me. Because it wasn't - it isn't. I care about you, Kara. A lot."

Kara was watching him, face unreadable in the dim light of the phone. Then she gave a snort of laughter. "I don't know how you do it, Danny. I was furious with you. I _am_ furious with you." Kara shook her head. "But all I can think about right now is how much I miss you. How much I..." This time Kara was the one to pause. "I care about you too, Danny. Too much. Nicaragua taught me that. Which is why the right thing to do is keep it professional until we are off the James."

"I don't know that I can do that," Danny admitted, shifting closer. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Not talking to you this week pretty much killed me."

"Danny..."

He pushed on, knowing that it was now or never. "All I'm asking for is a chance. A chance to see where this goes now that it's out in the open. Please."

Kara's hand drifted to his thigh, resting there for a moment, before she pulled back with a sigh. "There's a lot going on right now, Danny. I think we need to get through this trial and talk when emotions aren't running quite so high."

Although not what Danny wanted, Kara's suggestion was completely fair, smart even. Something he could work with. _Assuming that the trial went to plan_. He pushed the thought aside, focusing on the here, the now, the woman in front of him. Sitting there in just a t-shirt and underwear, she looked so tiny, so terribly fragile. No match at all for a virus that had killed billions. "Okay. But I'm serious. We will have that conversation, Kara. Because I know what I want. And I'm not letting you go without a fight."

"You should probably get out of here before someone catches us," Kara said after a moment. But there was nothing firm about her voice.

"Alisha's on the bridge overnight, isn't she?" Danny asked in response, lifting a hand to her neck, massaging the spot he knew was always tense after a long shift.

Kara dropped her head to the side, eyes drifting closed. "We just said that we weren't going to break any more rules, Danny."

"You shouldn't be alone, Kara. Not tonight," Danny cajoled. Besides, after weeks without contact, he ached to touch Kara in any way that she would let him.

Kara hesitated, teeth nibbling on her lower lip, before nodding. "Just for a little while. You have to be gone before Alisha gets back."

Not bothering to hide his relief, Danny gave Kara his most charming smile. "Understood."


	8. Acceptance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - my apologies for the delay in finishing this story! Work was kicking my butt and I swear that I haven't had two minutes to even hop on here. Hopefully I'm back on track. Plan is perhaps two more chapters and then this little story will be done. I have been blown away by the reception and support so THANK YOU. It means the world to know that people are out there reading and enjoying. xoxo - tmtcltb

Kara turned off her phone before scooting over side, allowing Danny to stretch out next to her on the bunk. There wasn't enough blanket and his legs were weirdly bent to avoid pushing Kara off the mattress, but Danny didn't care. Too lightheaded with relief that Kara was letting him stay. Letting him hold her.

_Possibly for the last time._

Kara didn't speak again until they were lying, spooned together. Her back pressed to his chest. His arm looped over her waist. "We can't keep going like this, Danny. Running from place to place, hiding from everyone. I need - _we all need_ \- for this to be over. A vaccine is the only way to make that happen. That's why I volunteered."

Objectively, Danny knew that Kara was right. Hell, everyone knew that she was right. That was the reason that more than half the crew volunteered. But he still didn't want Kara to be the one testing the damn vaccine. Danny began tracing patterns on her arm, searching for a topic that wouldn't lead to another fight. "So Alisha thinks that I have the IQ of a cereal box?"

Kara chucked, then winced when his hand brushed against her breast. She adjusted his hand slightly, explaining. "They're sore. PMS, I think. Anyway, she was talking about EQ, not IQ. She says the same thing about Carlton actually. Basically her way of saying that most guys are idiots when it comes to feelings."

Despite knowing that it was an insult, Danny found himself chuckling. Granderson wasn't so bad. He smoothed Kara's hair down, pressing a kiss against her temple. She snuggled in slightly, and Danny moved his hand back to her stomach. "You should get some sleep, sweetheart. Doctor Scott said that rest was important."

He was surprised when Kara abruptly sat up. Swinging her legs over the side of the bunk, her back to him. "I'm exhausted, Danny. Honestly, that's all I can think about. How tired I am. Between covering for Barker and then you getting sick and all the extra watch, I'm barely putting one foot in front of the other. But every time I close my eyes..."

She trailed off and Danny pushed himself upright as well, sitting up against the head of the bunk. When he finally spoke, his voice was low, gruff. "Every time you close your eyes you imagine them all dead."

"Yes," Kara's voice cracked. "My mom. Carlton. Alisha. _You_."

Danny hesitated. Remembering all the times that he lost himself in Kara, using her to distract himself both physically and mentally. Idiotically, he had never considered whether Kara was struggling with the same nightmares. Whether he might be serving the same role for her that she served for him - a momentary respite from the unending death and destruction and terror. Holding his breath, he reached forward. Capturing her waist and tugging her towards him.

He waited until Kara turned, twisting her legs up so that she was kneeling on the bunk, facing him. He leaned his forehead against hers, their lips inches apart. "I know how to help you sleep."

And then he waited, barely breathing. Feeling the tension gripping Kara as she struggled to decide what to do. Her hand rose to cup his bicep. "We agreed that this was a bad idea."

"I changed my mind."

His words drew a snort, and he could feel the smile that crossed her face. "You, Danny Green, are going to be the death of me."

And then her mouth was on his, her lips firm and tasting slightly like cinnamon. Danny eased back, tugging Kara down with him. He ran his hand in circles over her back, twisting her hair between his fingers, nibbling at her bottom lip. Her lips parted, and Danny deepened the kiss. She raised a hand to his face, running her fingers along the scruff on his chin, before shifting her legs to settle more firmly on his lap. Danny groaned, the heat of her core burning him even through the layers of clothing. He dropped his hands to her waist, running them along the hem of her shirt, but making no move to lift it.

_Because tonight wasn't about him._

Tonight was about Kara. About all the things that he could not put into words. Praying that he could return some small amount of the comfort that she had given him.

Kara broke the kiss, her hands making short work of her shirt and bra before urging Danny up enough for her to pull his shirt off as well. Danny wrapped his arms around her waist, tugging her closer, remembering her earlier comment about her breasts at the last moment and loosening his hold. Bypassing her mouth, he pressed a kiss to the space below Kara's ear, dragging an earlobe into his mouth. Kara jerked, her core hitting him at just the right angle, and Danny ground up against her before remembering himself and pulling away. In response, Kara pressed herself closer, arms wrapping around his neck, dragging his mouth back to hers. Danny eased a hand into the waistband of her panties, cupping her ass, holding her steady as they rocked against each other.

Danny wasn't sure how long they stayed that way, each kiss, each touch both a balm and a brand. They were breathing heavily when their mouths finally parted. Kara shimmying off Danny's lap to wiggle out of her underwear. Danny taking only a moment to pull a condom out of his pocket before tossing his clothes to the floor. And then they were back together, burning flesh pressed against burning flesh.

He rolled Kara onto her back, stretching her arms above her head with one hand, his mouth dropping to the swells of her breasts. Kissing first around one and then the other. His hand moving to the curve of her hip. Hooking her legs around his waist as he dragged his cock through her folds. Drinking in her gasps and groans as he positioned himself until finally, slowly, he eased inside. Inch by agonizing inch. Drawing it out as long as possible, feeling the way that Kara held her breath, releasing it in a long hiss once he was finally buried deep within. He pulled out, only to repeat the process again. He peppered her neck with kisses, twining their fingers together. Danny forced himself to keep the pace slow and steady. To focus on Kara. To notice every sensation, every hitched breath, every twitch as their bodies moved together in perfect synch.

He was panting, the effort of holding back almost unbearable when Kara stiffened, her legs clamping around Danny's waist, holding him immobile as she came. Danny rode the wave, groaning at the sensation of her walls clenching around him. He leaned down to capture her lips in an attempt to distract himself, wanting to bring her to this point at least once more, planning to leave her too exhausted to think about anything but him. But Kara had other plans. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders for leverage and she rocked her lower body against him as she pressed hot kisses to his neck and upper chest. Danny dropped a hand to her hip but found himself urging her on rather than holding her still, burying his groan in a pillow as he succumbed to her offering. Quickening his pace until, only minutes later, he found his release deep within Kara. Barely remembering to roll them over before collapsing, boneless and depleted.

_Thinking about, caring about, nothing except the woman in his arms._

They stayed like that, Kara sprawled across his chest, for long minutes. Danny was the first to move, quickly disposing of the condom in some tissues before locating his clothing in the dark. From the rustling, he assumed that Kara was doing the same. A suspicion that was confirmed when he moved back to the bunk to find her redressed.

"Will you stay for a few more minutes?" Kara asked, her voice drowsy, and he eased down next to her. Gathering her to his chest again.

"I promised to help you get to sleep," Danny reminded her.

Kara chuckled, and Danny twisted her hair around his fingers. Enjoying the play of the silky strands as Kara's breath slowed and evened, indicating that she was sleeping.

He hadn't meant to doze off himself, only to wait until Kara was completely out, but the next thing he knew, the door to the cabin was opening and Alisha Granderson was entering. Her eyes narrowed as she caught sight of him, before her gaze shifted to Kara, who remained asleep and apparently oblivious to the fact that they had been caught in a compromising position. _Again_. Then, without a word, Alisha gathered up her shower gear and headed back out with a final look that Danny had no troubled deciphering.

_Be gone before she got back._

It took several minutes of careful movements to extract himself from the bunk, but he didn't want to wake Kara. She clearly needed the sleep, now more than ever. As he stood, she rolled to her side, arm stretching until her hand hit the wall, mumbling something that he didn't catch, before she curled into a ball, appearing to settle back into slumber. He fought the urge to touch her again, knowing that every minute he remained was a risk, but the compulsion to stay - to spend every minute he could with Kara - was fierce. The feeling that something terrible was about to happen.

Finally, knowing that he had pushed it to the limit, Danny slipped out the door. Praying to every deity that he could think of that Doctor Scott knew what she was doing.

_That this would not be the last time he saw Kara alive._


	9. Dedication

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - trigger warning for discussion of suicidal thoughts. Sorry, y'all, this chapter got a bit dark. Some lines borrowed from Season 1, Episode 9, Trials - you will recognize them - obviously I don't own them.
> 
> A/N2 - since it is a holiday, hubby opened a bottle of wine at lunch. I am therefore tipsy (at the point where I am letting the three-year-old color rocks naked because, really, who cares?) so apologies for any errors. I was hoping to post a little bit of VDay love for these two but, you know, life. Maybe next time. xoxo - tmtcltb

Danny sat against the bulkhead, hidden between the crates, head on his knees. He wasn't sure why he came here, of all places. With Tex still stuck in the hazmat tent, Danny had their cabin to himself. Yet, after leaving the helicopter bay and taking a shower for the first time in days, instead of crashing in his bunk, Danny found himself here for some reason.

Except that wasn't true.

Danny knew exactly why he was here. Why, mind whirling over the events of the last week, he retreated to this space. Because even if they began meeting here out of convenience, and a little bit of desperation, this place was now imbued with memories of Kara.

_Touching her._

_Kissing her._

_Fucking her every which way since Sunday._

_A momentary reprieve from the demons that drove him._

Sitting on the floor, Danny tried to focus on the hum of the engine and the slight rock of the ship as it moved. To capture a shred of the tranquility he had found here in the past. Yet knowing, even as he focused on his breathing, that the attempt would be futile. Because that emotion wasn't about the storage room at all. It was about Kara.

_The way her eyes lit up when she saw him._

_Her unwavering belief - in him, in Captain Chandler, in Doctor Scott, in the future_ _. Her faith giving him hope._

_How a simple brush of her hand against his could warm him._

_The way she so effortlessly calmed his roiling emotions, her mere presence a balm._

For the millionth time, Danny found himself replaying the moment eight days ago when Captain Chandler walked towards him across the deck. The look on the Captain's face. The way he paused before he spoke. A tell. Enough for Danny to know that the news was not good. He had thought that he was prepared for anything, and then Captain Chandler spoke.

_"Kara's pregnant_."

After a moment of stunned silence, Danny had quickly put two and two together. Serrana Bank, the expired birth control shot, the lack of condoms, a risk that seemed so miniscule as to be laughable. A heat-of-the-moment decision now compounded into an error of epic proportion. Danny was still struggling to figure out how this could have happened - how they could have taken such a risk, how Kara could have unknowingly volunteered, how Doctor Scott could be so wrong about the vaccine - when Captain Chandler brought him down to the helicopter bay to don hazmat gear.

And that was when Doctor Scott delivered the next blow.

_"Kara had a seizure."_

_Danny stared at the woman. "What does that mean?"_

_She hesitated. Her tell so similar to the Captain's that Danny almost smiled. The two more alike than they would ever admit. But when Doctor Scott spoke, her words were even worse than Danny feared. "I initially thought that the seizure was merely the result of Kara's fever but, under the circumstances..." She paused again. "I have no way of knowing how Kara's condition might change the way that the virus progresses. Whether that is why her symptoms are different from the others. And what that might mean for the effectiveness of the vaccine."_

_Kara's condition. The Captain had spoken in terms of pregnancies and babies. Doctor Scott was talking about conditions and symptoms. The contrast was stark, a clear indicator of how bad the situation was. "What does that mean for Kara? Or for the baby?"_

_"All we can do is wait and see what happens. You should try to keep her comfortable and hydrated." Doctor Scott turned, and then swung back. "And if you are the praying sort, Danny, I would say that now is the time to pray."_

Given that Doctor Scott was about as religious as the XO, who frequently commented during their time in the Arctic that the best thing about Sundays was football, Danny felt his throat tighten. Honestly, he didn't even care about the baby. Not really. The idea of a child simply too foreign to comprehend. But the thought of losing Kara...

_"Hi sweetheart."_

_"Danny?"_

_He reached for her hand, forcing the words past the lump in his throat. "Captain said that we could have a visit."_

_He watched her eyes change, watched the fear appear, watched as she put two-and-two together and realized that his appearance meant only one thing. "That can't be good news."_

_The blood dripping from her nose had done it, pushed him over the edge, and he felt the first tear roll down his face. Not caring if anyone saw him or heard him beg. Willing to say anything, do anything, to save her._

_"_ _Don't you dare leave me."_

But even as he spoke the words, he knew that they were futile. Kara was dying. Doctor Scott had failed, and it was only a matter of time before the virus that had already claimed millions claimed one - or two - more. And, sitting there holding Kara's limp hand, Danny had known what he would do. He would stay by Kara's side until the end. Comforting her however he could. But then, he would end it. Now understanding Frankie's behavior on that cruise ship, why there was no changing his mind about his decision.

_Because he was a dead man walking._

Danny hadn't thought through the details. Whether he would hit the armory or throw himself overboard or even pull off his hazmat suit and die the same horribly painful death that Kara was dying. But he knew as surely as he knew the sun would rise that he couldn't go on after this. That the moment when Doctor Scott marked Kara's time of death, she would be marking his as well. That while his heart might still be beating, it would be a mere formality. And with that realization, came a sense of calm.

_Of rightness._

Danny had never spent much time thinking about heaven but he had found himself remembering his hallucination about the beach. Wondering whether maybe, just maybe, he had gotten a little glimpse of what it would be like. Because if that was heaven, it was a hell of a lot better than what he had right now. When Doctor Scott reappeared, shouting something about _immune vascular dysfunction_ , it had been like whiplash. His mind unable to adjust to the abrupt change from acceptance of death to hope for life. Leaving Danny paralyzed.

And then the cure began to work. They all began to recover. Kara slower than the others, but the change in her condition still remarkable. Danny had waited five days, at Doctor Scott's suggestion, to allow Kara time to recover. Not wanting the shock to impact her recovery. But when Captain Chandler mentioned releasing the five survivors from the tent, Danny knew he had to tell her the news before she heard it from someone else.

Burk, most likely. The damn asshole always getting in Danny's way.

_"Hi sweetheart."_

_"Danny."_ _She had turned from Commander Garnett, her smile unguarded, and he wished that he could memorize the moment. An instant of happiness before he dropped a bombshell, not idea how she would react._

_"I have something that I need to tell you." He took her hands, watching the way her brows furrowed as she gazed at him, waiting for him to speak. "We're having a baby, Kara. You're pregnant. Doctor Scott said that you're going to be okay. Both of you. And the baby will be born immune."_

_"A baby?"_ _Danny watched as her confusion transforming into joy. She began laughing, hands raising to her face, and then dropping to her stomach as though looking for some physical sign that he was telling her the truth._ _"We're going to have a baby? And it can't get the virus?"_

_"No, it will be immune."_

Kara's smile had grown, her eyes lighting up, a hand reaching out to grasp his. But even as he squeezed her fingers through the latex of his glove and accepted the congratulations of the others in the tent, along with some ribbing from both Tex and Commander Garnett, Danny remained numb. Because despite a sense of overwhelming relief that Kara had survived the virus - along with the child they accidentally created - Danny was unable to shake the feeling that today merely delayed the inevitable.

_The day when he lost Kara - and himself._

Somehow Danny stumbled through the next few hours. Forcing a smile when the others began offering advice on parenting. Rolling his eyes when Tex cracked another bad joke. Listening quietly as the Master Chief read a passage from his Bible, and then asked them to join him in prayer. And the entire time his eyes glued to Kara's face. Watching for any sign of pain or discomfort or even uncertainty about the news he had just sprung on her. But, as she so often was, Kara was unreadable.

Eventually Quincy had chased Danny from the tent on the grounds that he looked - and smelled - like shit. Despite the fact that there was no way anyone could smell him while he was wearing a hazmat suit, Danny had grabbed at the excuse. Needing a moment away to regroup. Some time alone before he put on his game face, not wanting Kara to sense his doubts. And, besides, even if nobody else could smell him, Danny could certainly smell himself.

Doctor Scott caught him on his way out. She had been grinning, her relief and happiness evident for all to see.

_"She's going to make it through this, Danny. Both of them. I promise."_

Her words had buoyed him long enough to get through a shower, washing off the stink and grime of the tent. He had even grabbed some food from the wardroom, Bacon insisting on making him something hot even though the kitchen was in the middle of dinner-prep. But now, sitting here in the dark, Danny considered what Doctor Scott hadn't promised.

_Couldn't promise._

She couldn't promise Danny a future. She couldn't promise him that there wasn't another Ruskov hunting for them right now. That there wasn't another El Toro at their next stop. That there wasn't another virus out there just waiting to finish the job. That Danny wouldn't wake up one morning with a wife and child, and go to bed that night with neither.

_And Danny wasn't sure he could live with that uncertainty._

The door opened, the light from the corridor briefly illuminating the crates before the door closed again. Danny let out the breath he was holding. He wasn't ready to talk to anyone - not that anyone was likely to see him back in this corner in any event. Then he heard the soft sound of footsteps, as someone began picking their way through the dark. But the only person Danny could think of who would be in here without a light was...

"Danny?"


	10. Faith

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N - one more chapter after this and the story is done. Thank you all for hanging around and supporting my little jaunt down memory lane. This was a nice way to remember how I fell in love with this show and this couple, and why they will always be my OTP. xoxo - tmtcltb

"Danny?"

Kara's hand brushed his head as she reached out, searching for him in the dark. He moved without thought, catching her around the waist, pulling her down to his lap. She landed awkwardly, one knee colliding with his stomach while an elbow hit his shoulder, but Danny didn't care. Because he could thread his fingers through her silky hair, hear her surprised gasp as she landed, feel her chest rising-and-falling. No hazmat suit between them.

_Warm._

_Breathing._

_Alive._

Kara shifted until she was kneeling over him, hands brushing across his chest before lifting to frame his face. Danny cupped her neck, tipping her head backwards. Their lips collided, Kara's mouth falling open under his. All of the fear and hope and horror and joy of the last few days exploding in a searing kiss. Danny felt whatever control he still had slipping, wrapping an arm around her waist, crushing her against his chest. Kara's hands combed through his hair, thighs hooked around his hips, as she pressed herself against him.

_Reassuring themselves that they were both really here._

Finally their mouths parted, but neither moved to separate. Danny slid a thumb along her bottom lip. "Hi."

He could feel her smile. "Hi yourself."

Danny ran a hand down her back, over the curve of her hip, across a thigh. Half expecting her to disappear or, worse, begin coughing up blood. He leaned his forehead against hers, lips millimeters apart. "I thought that you were going to die."

Kara's head dropped to his shoulder, long silent moments passing before she answered. "I know. I thought so too."

Somehow, here in the dark, it was easier. The confession slipping out. "I was waiting for you to go first. Then I was going to follow."

"No, you weren't." Kara's voice was certain, the tone she used in CIC when correcting the JOs. The one that booked no disagreement.

Danny snorted. "You're a mind-reader now?"

Again there was a pause, although this time Kara moved her lips to the underside of his jaw, her warm breath ghosting across his neck. A hand sliding down his chest to his stomach, pulling at the hem of his shirt until she reached bare skin. Danny sucked in a hard breath as her fingers toyed with the waistband of his shorts, unable to hide his reaction. He shifted under Kara, one hand moving to the curve of her ass, fighting the urge to rock up against her. Reminding himself that less than forty-eight hours ago Kara was still flat on her back in that hazmat tent - and was in no way ready for the type of activity that his body was currently imagining.

"Maybe." Kara hummed, nipping at his ear. "You might have thought about it, Danny. But you wouldn't have done it. Not when people here still needed you. Depended on you. I don't have to be a mind-reader to know that."

Danny took slow, steady breaths as her words sunk in. Pierced the fog he had been stuck in for days. Released something inside of him, something that he had feared was gone permanently. _Faith_.

_How did Kara do that?_

_How did she always know the right thing to say?_

_Or, more importantly, why did he believe her?_

Because, lord knows, he wanted to believe her. Believe that some part of him still had faith that there was a better future ahead. If not for him, then for Kara. For their baby. For the world. "How do you know that?"

Kara pushed at his shirt, sitting back to allow Danny to pull it over his head, before removing her own. She dropped kisses across his collarbone, his shoulder, his chest. Despite knowing that it was a bad idea, Danny palmed a breast in one hand, slipping his fingers inside Kara's bra to roll a nipple between his fingers. Revealing in the way she gasped and rocked against him. Scalding him with her heat even through layers of clothing. Danny unsnapped her bra, leaning down to draw the nipple he had just uncovered into his mouth. Licking his way to her other breast in order to repeat the caress.

Her voice was raspy when she finally spoke. "Because I know you, Danny. And I know that you would never, ever, ever leave a brother behind. That's not who you are."

Kara's hands slid inside his shorts, the touch of her fingers against his aching flesh so welcome that it was painful. Danny squeezed his eyes shut, attempting to count by fours, but nothing was going to distract him from the feel of Kara's hand stroking up and down his cock. He forced the words out, his hands moving to her hips, holding her still. "Pretty sure this is against doctor's orders."

She laughed, her hair brushing against his chest as she rose onto her knees and wiggled his shorts down. "Actually, Doctor Scott pulled me aside to assure me that there were no medical restrictions on my activities, although she did say that Captain Chandler might have a different opinion regarding the appropriateness of some of those activities."

"Fuck." Danny jerked when she suddenly leaned down, taking him into her mouth, her tongue swirling around the head of his cock. Danny's hands tangled in Kara's hair in an attempt to hold her still as he fought for control. Cursing how easily she brought him to this point. _One where all he could focus on was her._ "I can't think right now. All I can think about is..."

"Then stop thinking. Just tell me what you want," Kara whispered.

Danny didn't hesitate. "You. I want you."

_But not just her body._

_Not just sex._

_He wanted her smile, her laugh, even her tears._

_Hell, he even wanted marriage and babies._

_He wanted everything._

_Forever._

Danny's eyes popped open as the thought crystalized. A chill running through him as he once again realized how close he had come to losing everything in that hazmat tent. He opened his mouth, intending to tell her the words that had echoed in his head for weeks. _I love you_. But then Kara was moving again, one hand teasing his balls as she took him between her lips, swallowing him from head to base. Leaving Danny unable to think about anything except the feel of her body on his.

"Enough." The word was a growl as he tugged at her head until, with a final swirl of her tongue, Kara sat up. She stood and, for a nanosecond, Danny wondered if he had imagined her presence. If he was actually asleep, back in the hazmat tent, waiting for Kara die as Doctor Scott desperately tried to find a cure. But then she was back, blessedly naked. Sliding onto his lap, poised above him, tantalizingly close.

He dropped a hand to her clit but Kara caught him. "Not now. I'm too close."

Detouring, he ran a finger down the cleft of her ass, before pressing first one, and then two, fingers inside Kara. Her hands tightened on his shoulders, the nails biting into his skin. Clipped moans escaped her and Danny knew that she was biting her lip in an effort to muffle the sound. Easing his fingers out, he shifted until the head of his cock was pressed against her before pausing. "You're sure?"

Kara didn't hesitate. "I want you inside me. Now."

He eased her downward slowly, inch by tantalizing inch. Reminding himself that not only was Kara still recovering, but she was also pregnant. Carrying his child - _their child_ \- inside of her. That he needed to be careful, consider, not overwhelm her. But Kara seemed to have no similar restraints, her knees clutching his thighs and arms braced against his shoulders as she urged him on. Nipping at his chest and neck and arms, using him as leverage as she quickened their pace. This time when he brought his thumb to her clit, she didn't protest, instead giving a breathless whimper as she began quivering.

"Now. Please now. _Danny_."

He cut off her words with his mouth, swallowing her moans and cries until she began to convulse around him. Seducing him. Ravishing him. Destroying and rebuilding him in an instant as they came together in a final perfect moment, until Kara collapsed on top of him with a final shudder.

His breath still ragged, Danny hugged her closer. Her slender body molding against his larger frame. Her silken hair spilling across his shoulder. Her fingers dancing patterns on his arm. And, for the first time in weeks, Danny felt a sense of peace.

"How did you know where I was?" He asked, the words spontaneous.

He could feel the curl of her lips against his shoulder. "Lucky guess."


	11. Affiliation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THANK YOU ALL for coming along for this ride with me. I cannot express how much I appreciate all of the reviews and PMs and likes and support. This is the end of this little story but I have lots of other ideas for these two so stay tuned. xoxo - tmtcltb

Danny approached the rail where Kara stood in her civvies, staring out at the waves. He could have spent a lifetime watching her. Enjoying the way her hair blew in the wind, the strands brushing against her cheeks. Amused by how her mouth moved slightly, as if she was having some internal dialogue. He ran his eyes down her slim frame, noting that, although Kara's face was pale and her arms still wore the signs of recent IVs, the lesions were finally gone. His eyes paused at her stomach, which looked no different from the day they first met, still only half believing that there was actually a baby inside.

"I love you." The words spilled out.

Kara turned, blinking at him. "I know."

"You know?" He replied, only then noticing the way that she was chewing on her bottom lip, eyes dancing. He crossed his arms across his chest, biting back his own smile. "Well, if that's the way it's going to be, I retract the statement."

She laughed. "You don't get to retract it, Danny. You already told me, anyway. When you had Dengue Fever."

Danny snorted, leaning closer. "You mean when I was _hallucinating_ about drinking beer and having sex on a Caribbean beach? How do I know you aren't making that up?"

"Just because you don't remember saying it doesn't mean it wasn't true." Kara tipped her head to the side, one hand moving to a hip. She paused, as though considering her next words. "But if it makes you feel any better, I love you too."

He arched an eyebrow, leaning towards her. "I know. You kind of gave that away when the James went to lockdown."

"Asshole," Kara swatted at his arm before taking a quick peak around. Seeing nobody within eyesight, she stepped closer. Hand moving to his chest, leaning up to brush a feather-light kiss against his lips. "I've missed you the last few days."

"Yeah well the CO was clear about the rules." Danny reached down to take her hand, recalling the lecture that he received from the Captain on appropriate behavior. Although, under the circumstances, Captain Chandler had recognized the need to relax the fraternization rules, Doctor Scott had been right about the CO's feelings on various _activities_. The lecture had taken almost twenty minutes and included specific examples. Talking alone in cabins with the door shut, was acceptable. Both attending Kara's check-ups with Doctor Scott was acceptable. Any sort of physical contact, even the mild PDA that they were engaged in right now, was not.

Commander Slattery had also weighed in, although he had been much more succinct.

_I don't want to see it, hear about it, or find out about it. Especially if it involves your bare ass, Green._

Danny stepped to the rail, hand still holding Kara's, staring out at the horizon. He smoothed his thumb along each finger in turn. Hesitating as he reached her ring finger, wondering what Kara would say if he asked her to marry him right now. Whether she would understand why he was asking. Not because of the baby. But because of her. Because he couldn't imagine a future without her.

"You wanted to wait until after the trial to talk," Danny said after a short silence. "Is now a good time?"

The question seemed to catch Kara by surprise. She sighed, her teasing smile disappearing. "I suppose that we need to. How is this going to work? CO told me that they were relaxing the rules on me serving while pregnant but that only matters as long as I'm on the Nathan James. What will happen after the baby arrives? Obviously I won't be able to stay on the ship and you'll be gone and..."

"Kara, stop." Danny cut her off. "That's months away. By then we'll be back in the States and have a better idea of what things are like. Maybe we'll have found your mother. Or my parents."

"It's just..." Kara was chewing on her lip again. "I've always had my life planned out. And now everything is different and the only thing that feels normal is the Nathan James. Thinking about leaving the ship, well, it's overwhelming."

Danny hesitated. Wishing that he knew the right words to say. Because everything that Kara said was true. The world had completely changed in the last six months, and none of them knew what they were going home to. Worse, Kara _would_ eventually need to leave the ship and he couldn't change that or fix it for her.

_All he could do was make sure she didn't have to figure it out alone._

"I'm worried too," he admitted. "It's a lot to take in and a lot to think about, but we just have to take one step at a time. Not get ahead of ourselves. Okay?"

Her eyes closed and then opened, and then Kara squared her shoulders. "You're right."

"And I think the first step is agreeing that we're in this together. No walking away from each other." He held his breath, half afraid that she would say no. "We're a team. You and me and the baby."

Kara's hand floated down to her stomach, as though she too was having trouble believing that this was real. Then she glanced over, her entire face lighting up. "Not a team, Danny. _A family_. We're a family now."

He stared at her as the words sunk in, his own smile growing. And then he was laughing. Uncaring of the CO's rules, he wrapped an arm around Kara, pulling her close, dropping a kiss on the top of her head.

_Wondering how he got so damn lucky._

"Thank you," he murmured.

Kara looked up, squinting against the sun. "For what?"

His throat tightened. "For not letting me push you away."

She reached up to cup his cheek, and he reveled in the laughter in her eyes. _The joy_. "What was it you used to say? Oh, yes, all's fair in love and war. And I, for one, play for keeps."

x

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THE END


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